I bought my 2007 MCS +/-1.5years ago. I have done 20,000km in my MCS since then with no real intense driving taking place. The engine management light came on with a reduction in power a few weeks ago and immediately booked it in BMW dealership for inspection and the 85000km service. They then came back to me saying that the turbo had blown, which I thought was very strange, remembering the turbo had been replaced not to long ago!

I bought the car knowing that is had a new turbo at +/-62000km thinking perfect, shouldn't have a problem for a long while. Not being happy and after some further research BMW told me my MCS had another turbo replaced at +/-46000km. So effectively 3 turbo in the space of 50,000km which I can not accept. BMW have told me to go fly a kite as the car in now out of motorplan and there is no warranty on warranty repairs and expect me to pay R27000 ($3140) in repairs. Apparently both previous turbos were replaced due to a blocked banjo bolt on the turbo oil feed

Granted I dont know how the car was treated by the previous owner, but even with the cap driven out of the car surely the turbo should last significantly longer than 20000 kms a turbo. I also cant tell what oil was used etc.

I am now having the turbo assessed by turbo professionals as BMW cant seem properly repair the problem/cause and aren't interested in helping me.

My questions are these:

Has anyone had a similar issue with multiple turbos failing in such a short space of time?

So the first 2 turbos on the car were apparently replaced due to the oil lines blocking up and the turbo then over heating.

The latest chapter in this saga is that someone at BMW (the car only serviced at BMW) must have dropped something into the air intake. this something was then sucked into the turbo completely destroying it. I am waiting for the inter cooler to be cleaned out to see exactly what. So if someone wants to make some money, may be they could design/make a inline mesh protector/filter for the air intake tube.

My question is this, I am replacing the turbo with a new part. Is there any significant difference in the Turbo part number 53039700181 and 53039700163?

Has the oil pan/sump ever been removed and inspected on this car? The reason I ask is that I believe there is a gauze filter that is intended to filter out carbon particles before they get into the turbo oil feed. It could be possible that you have small carbon particles in the sump that are being taken up by the turbo oil feed. These could lodge in the journal bearing and sequentially destroy turbo after turbo. Alternatively, the gauze could be caked in oil sludge and not enough oil is being sent to the turbo.

I know a similar problem exists on the diesel engined coopers. The "fix" is to drain and clean the oil pan and gauze before fitting a new oil feed line and new turbocharger.

Normally the air filter sits between the intake and the compressor side of the turbo and prevents foreign bodies from entering the compressor side. There are a couple of scenarios I can imagine although I am suspicious of the foreign body hypothesis of the dealer.

The first is that the turbo was being starved of oil again and there was play in the shaft resulting in the compressor fins striking the casing and destroying the turbocharger, the end result being you now have turbine fin debris in your intercooler.

The second scenario is that a foreign body did enter the compressor, however I can't imagine that it made it past the air filter. The only other object between the air filter and turbo intake is the MAF sensor. Is your MAF still there?

I reckon that unless you clean out that oil pan and oil piping, you'll experience yet another turbine failure.

Can't really help with the part numbers. Is the turbo a Garrett unit? If so, what's the serial on it? Should be something like GT1544V or such.

So the first 2 turbos on the car were apparently replaced due to the oil lines blocking up and the turbo then over heating.

The latest chapter in this saga is that someone at BMW (the car only serviced at BMW) must have dropped something into the air intake. this something was then sucked into the turbo completely destroying it. I am waiting for the inter cooler to be cleaned out to see exactly what. So if someone wants to make some money, may be they could design/make a inline mesh protector/filter for the air intake tube.

My question is this, I am replacing the turbo with a new part. Is there any significant difference in the Turbo part number 53039700181 and 53039700163?

I will definitely get the sump and gauze checked out and cleaned, thanks.

I would agree with you on the oil starvation on the latest turbo replacement however the front of the intake turbine is worn (see photo). looks like something was rubbing up against it. Hence why thinking that something was left in the air intake when the last air filter was changed. and Yes the MAF sensor is still there.

I have sent the car to performance tuning specialists and they have removed the entire turbo, intercooler, oil filter and lines. The intercooler is completely blocked up with debris (i have asked them to keep the debris for analysis)

The turbo in the car is a KKK turbo and the part number on it is 53039700181. I have asked the local garret supplier here and they apparently don't have a direct replacement.

Has the oil pan/sump ever been removed and inspected on this car? The reason I ask is that I believe there is a gauze filter that is intended to filter out carbon particles before they get into the turbo oil feed. It could be possible that you have small carbon particles in the sump that are being taken up by the turbo oil feed. These could lodge in the journal bearing and sequentially destroy turbo after turbo. Alternatively, the gauze could be caked in oil sludge and not enough oil is being sent to the turbo.

I know a similar problem exists on the diesel engined coopers. The "fix" is to drain and clean the oil pan and gauze before fitting a new oil feed line and new turbocharger.

Normally the air filter sits between the intake and the compressor side of the turbo and prevents foreign bodies from entering the compressor side. There are a couple of scenarios I can imagine although I am suspicious of the foreign body hypothesis of the dealer.

The first is that the turbo was being starved of oil again and there was play in the shaft resulting in the compressor fins striking the casing and destroying the turbocharger, the end result being you now have turbine fin debris in your intercooler.

The second scenario is that a foreign body did enter the compressor, however I can't imagine that it made it past the air filter. The only other object between the air filter and turbo intake is the MAF sensor. Is your MAF still there?

I reckon that unless you clean out that oil pan and oil piping, you'll experience yet another turbine failure.

Can't really help with the part numbers. Is the turbo a Garrett unit? If so, what's the serial on it? Should be something like GT1544V or such.

Strange, looks indeed like wear but, at least from the photo it doesn't look like a hard impact. Pretty sure it would be much more damaged if something hard (i.e. metal) hit the compressor fan.

Two other things spring to mind. First, normally there is a rubber seal that holds the intake piping onto the turbo intake. In the photo, it slips over the turbo intake. Is that rubber seal intact? I know they can dry out and split. Seems reasonable that the turbine could have injested the rubber seal. Second, maybe something broke off the PCV valve that vents into the intake piping between the MAF and turbo inlet?

Could also very well be that something was left/dropped into the intake pipe, although that would seem rather strange to me as I think as soon as the car was started for the first time whatever that foreign object was would have simply been sucked in and you wouldn't have been able to drive anywhere.

Did they tell you what kind of foreign material they are finding in the charge air cooler (rubber? metal?)? Make sure you get ahold of some and keep your hands on it.

Strange, looks indeed like wear but, at least from the photo it doesn't look like a hard impact. Pretty sure it would be much more damaged if something hard (i.e. metal) hit the compressor fan.

Two other things spring to mind. First, normally there is a rubber seal that holds the intake piping onto the turbo intake. In the photo, it slips over the turbo intake. Is that rubber seal intact? I know they can dry out and split. Seems reasonable that the turbine could have injested the rubber seal. Second, maybe something broke off the PCV valve that vents into the intake piping between the MAF and turbo inlet?

Could also very well be that something was left/dropped into the intake pipe, although that would seem rather strange to me as I think as soon as the car was started for the first time whatever that foreign object was would have simply been sucked in and you wouldn't have been able to drive anywhere.

Did they tell you what kind of foreign material they are finding in the charge air cooler (rubber? metal?)? Make sure you get ahold of some and keep your hands on it.